UAKMsSC150 Guide to the Isaac I. Stevens Papers 1835-1908 Stevens (Isaac I.) Papers Finding aid prepared by Edward W. Nolan Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture © 1987
2316 W. First Avenue Spokane, WA 99201
Finding aid encoded by Rose Krause 2012 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). September 2023 Finding aid edited and updated by Jack Gassen Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture), Joel E. Ferris Research Library and Archives
2316 W. First Avenue Spokane, WA 99201 Phone: (509) 363-5342 Email: archives@northwestmuseum.org
MsSC 150 Stevens, Isaac Ingalls, 1818-1862 Isaac I. Stevens Papers 1835-1908 5 in. Soldier, Indian agent, and governor of Washington Territory. Letters (1835-1861) to Stevens's family; letters (1858-1861) to James G. Swan (1818-1900); miscellaneous Stevens family correspondence (1822-1939); and correspondence and documents (1858-1908), of Stevens's son, Hazard Stevens, lawyer, of Seattle, Wash. Subjects include Isaac Stevens's activities as a cadet at United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., and subsequent service with the U.S. Army during the Mexican War (1846-1847) and later the Civil War; Indian affairs and treaties negotiated by Stevens; duties as territorial governor; and the Northen Pacific Railroad. English Biographical Note

Isaac Stevens was born in Andover, MA. He graduated form West Point and received a commission in the army engineers in 1839. Stevens served in the Mexican War, 1846-1847. He was appointed Indian agent for Washington Territory, chief of the Northern Pacific Railroad survey, and governor of Washington Territory, 1853. As governor, Stevens negotiated a series of seven treaties with the Indians of eastern and western Washington. In 1857 he was elected territorial delegate to Congress. During the Civil War he became a major general in the Union army and was killed at the battle of Chantilly, VA in 1862.

The collection is fragmentary, containing bits and pieces of Stevens’ personal and family letters. The collection falls into four major areas: Isaac Stevens’ letters to his family, 1835-1861; Stevens’ letters to James G. Swan, 1858-1861; miscellaneous Stevens family correspondence, 1822-1862; and fragmentary letters and documents relating to Stevens’ son, Hazard, 1864-1908.

Collection is not restricted.

 Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the Eastern Washington State Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Museum Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Eastern Washington State Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher

Isaac I. Stevens Papers (MsSC 150), Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane, WA.

Society purchase and donation from Dr. A.A. Sallquist.

Nolan, Edward W. A Guide to the Manuscript Collections in the Eastern Washington State Historical Society (Spokane, WA: Eastern Washington State Historical Society, 1987).

To have any significance, these papers must be used in conjunction with the major Stevens collections at the University of Washington and Yale University.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) WorldCat database. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search WorldCat using these headings.

Stevens, Isaac Ingalls, 1818-1862--Archives Swan, James Gilchrist--Correspondence Stevens, Hazard, 1842-1918 Stevens family United States Military Academy Washington (State). Governor (1853-1857 : Stevens) Northern Pacific Railroad Company Indians of North America--Washington (State) Indians of North America--Treaties Indians of North America--Government relations Military education--United States Railroads--Washington (State) Mexican War, 1846-1848--United States United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Washington Territory--Politics and government Washington (State)--Legal affairs Seattle (Wash.)--Legal affairs Washington (State)--Indians Washington (State)--Family and personal papers--19th-20th centuries New York (State)--Education--Service academies West Point (N.Y.)--Education--Service academies Washington (State)--Transportation--Railroads Soldiers--United States Indian agents--Washington (State) Governors--Washington (State) Lawyers--Washington (State) Washington (State) Territorial Government Native Americans Military Railroads